Folding chair



April 2, 1957 E. MOORE ET AL 2,787,316

FOLDING CHAIR Filed April 26, 1955 INVENTORS. 22/1 1 11/0055 @7111 BY 61E015 SM/f/l,

ilnited States Patent FOLDING CHAIR Ezra L. Moore and Cleo E. Smith,Columbus, Ind., assignors to Arvin Industries, Inc., Columbus, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,913

Claims. (Cl. 155-143) This invention relates to collapsible chairs, andmore particularly to collapsible chairs adapted for manufacture fromlight-weight metal tubing. Objects of the invention include improvedconstruction and an enhanced strength and rigidity in chairs of the typeindicated.

A preferred form of chair embodying my invention includes two crossed,pivotally interconnected structures each formed from a single length ofmetal tubing bent into a U-shape. In the first of these structures, thesides of the U-shaped tubing extend upwardly, desirably at a slightlyrearward inclination, from the pivotal axis to provide a back-support,and downwardly and forwardly from the axis to'provide front legs, theintermediate stretch of the U-shaped tubing being located-at the top ofthe structure. In the second structure, the sides extend forwardly fromthe axis to provide support for a seat and rearwardly and downwardlyfrom the axis to provide rear legs, and the intermediate stretch of theU- shaped tubing is located adjacent the front of the seat. Theseat-supporting, and leg-forming portions of each side of the secondstructure are rigidly interconnected by a brace secured to them atpoints spaced from the pivotal axis, the two braces conveniently beingthe sides of a third U-shaped tubular member the intermediate portionsof which serves as a stretcher extending between the rear legs. A secondstretcher extends between the front legs in a position to be engaged bythe braces to limit extension or opening movement of the chair. If thechair is to have arms, such arms may be pivotally connected at theirrear ends to the sides of the first tubular structure, and at theirfront ends to supports which extend downwardly and are pivotallyconnected to the respective braces. The arm supports may project belowtheir axis of pivotal connection with the braces and engage the frontlegs, desirably being formed at their lower ends to partially embracethe front legs whereby to restrict any relative lateral movement.

A preferred form of chair is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the chair in extended condition;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chair, likewise in ex tendedcondition;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair in collapsed condition; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 of Fig. 2.

The chair illustrated in the drawing comprises a first length of metaltubing bent into an inverted U-shape to provide an intermediate portionand sides 11. A second length of tubing is bent into a U-shape toprovide an intermediate portion 12 and parallel sides 13. The width ofthe structure formed by the second tube is less than that of thestructure formed by the first tube so that the sides 13 can be receivedbetween the sides 11 and pivotally interconnected therewith as by boltsor rivets 14. A chair-back 15, conveniently of fabric, woven plastic, orsimilar flexible material, is stretched between and secured to the upperportions of the sides 11, such "ice upper side-portions extendingupwardly, preferably with a rearward inclination, from the axis of thepivot bolts 14. At or adjacent the pivot bolts 14, the sides 11 are bentforwardly to provide front legs for the chair. Desirably, theleg-forming portions of each side has an intermediate bend 16, definingan upper leg-portion 17 of relatively slight inclination to thehorizontal and a lower portion 18 of greater inclination.

A chair-seat 20, which may be of material similar to that of the back15, extends between and is secured to the front portions of the sides 13of the second tubular member. At or adjacent the pivot bolts 14, thesides 13 are bent to extend downwardly and rearwardly to form rear legs21. The lower ends of the legs 18 and 21 may be tipped with feet 22 ofrubber or other appropriate material.

To stilfen and strengthen the sides 13, each of them is provided with abrace 24 which is secured to the rear leg 21 at a point in rear of thepivotal axis of the bolts 14 and which extends forwardly below such axisto have its front end secured to the side 13, near the front of the seat20. Conveniently, the braces 24 are the sides of a third length of metaltubing bent into a U-shapeand having an intermediate portion 25 servingas a stretcher rigidly interconnecting the rear legs 21. In the formshown, the body of each brace lies well below the seatsupporting portionof the associated side 13, its front end being bent upwardly and securedto such seat-supporting portion and its rear end being bent to extendalong the lower side of the rear leg 21, to which it is secured byrivets 24'.

The front legs of the chair are interconnected by a second stretcher 26secured to them desirably adjacent the bends 16 and in position to beengaged by the braces 24 when the chair is in its extended condition.

Arms 30, conveniently of sheet-metal formed into an L-shaped crosssection, have their rear ends pivotally connected to the sides 11 bybolts or rivets 31 located above the axis of the pivot bolts 14. Thefront ends of the arms are pivotally connected, as by bolts or rivets32, to arm-supports 33 which extend generally downwardly and arepivotally connected to the braces 24 by pivot bolts or rivets 34.Desirably, the arm-supports 33 continue downwardly below the bolts 34 sothat their lower ends may engage the lower stretches 18 of the frontchairlegs. As will be apparent from Fig. 4, the arm-supports 33 aredesirably formed of metal tubing, and at the lower end of each supportthe rear wall of such tubing is collapsed against the front wall toprovide a rearwardly opening recess or groove the sides of whichpartially embrace the lower portion 18 of the front leg. Suchinterfitting of the lower ends of the arm-supports with the front legsrestricts the lateral movement of the lower ends of the arm supports;and since the arm supports are connected to the braces 24 by the bolts34, lateral movement of the upper ends of the arm supports and of thefront ends of the arms will likewise be restricted.

As previously noted, the sides 13 of the structure supporting the seatand providing the rear legs lie inside the sides 11 of the structurewhich supports the back and provides the front legs. Each brace 24 liessubstantially in the same vertical plane with its associate side 13, andtherefore also lies inwardly of the sides 11. The armsupports 33 lieoutwardly of the sides 13 and braces 24, and their lower portionstherefore lie in the same vertical planes respectively with the sides11. Above the pivot bolts 34, however, the arm-supports 33 are offsetoutwardly so that their upper ends may occupy lateral positions adaptingthem for pivotal connection to the arms 30.

When the chair is in the extended position shown'in Fig. 2, the braces24 engage the stretcher 26. Because of the presence of the braces 24,the seat-supporting structure is extremely rigid in a vertical plane andwell adapted to sustain the weight of the occupant of the chair.Portions of such weight are transferred to the front legs, through thepivot bolts 14 and through the stretcher 26. The engagement of the lowerends of the arm-supports 33 with the lower portions 18 of the front legsimparts stilfness and rigidity to the support of the front ends of thearms 30.

To collapse the chair, it is necessary only to apply an effort designedto move the intermediate stretches and 12 of the first and secondstructures toward each other, the various elements of the chair swingingabout their points of pivotal connection with other elements untilbrought into the position illustrated at Fig. 3.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a collapsible chair, crossed first and second structures pivotallyinterconnected on a horizontal axis at their point of crossing, a chairback, said first structure having two sides extending generally upwardlyfrom said axis to support said back and forwardly and downwardly fromthe axis to provide front supporting legs, said second structure havinga seat portion projecting forwardly from said axis and rear legsextending rearwardly and downwardly from the axis, arms pivoted to saidsides above said axis and projecting forwardly therefrom, and generallyvertical arm supports pivotally connected to said arms near the frontends thereof and to said second structure at points spaced forwardlyfrom said axis, said arm supports continuing downwardly below theirpoints of pivotal connection to said second structure and engaging saidfront legs, the interengaging portions of each arm support and front leghaving interfitting provisions restricting their relative lateralmovement.

2. In a collapsible chair, crossed first and second structures pivotallyinterconnected on a horizontal axis at their point of crossing, a chairback, said first structure having two sides extending generally upwardlyfrom said axis to support said back and forwardly and downwardly fromthe axis to provide front supporting legs, said second structure havinga seat portion projecting forwardly from said axis and rear legsextending rearwardly and downwardly from the axis, arms pivoted to saidsides above said axis and projecting forwardly therefrom, and generallyvertical arm supports pivotally connected to said arms near the frontends thereof and to said second structure at points spaced forwardlyfrom said axis, said arm supports continuing downwardly below theirpoints of pivotal connection to said second structure and engaging saidfront legs.

3. A chair as set forth in claim 1 with the addition that the sides ofsaid first structure are formed of circular stock the lower ends of saidarm supports being concave rearwardly to partially embrace the stockforming said front legs.

4. A chair as set forth in claim 3 with the addition that said armsupports are formed of metal tubing, the rear wall of such tubing at thelower end of each arm support being displaced toward the front wall torender the lower end of the arm support rearwardly concave as aforesaid.

5. In a collapsible chair, a first tubular member bent into an invertedU-shape to provide a horizontally extending intermediate portion and twodownwardly extending sides, a second tubular member bent into a U- shapeto provide an intermediate portion and two sides, the respective sidesof said two members crossing each other and being pivotallyinterconnected on a common horizontal axis, a seat carried by the sidesof said second member in'advance of said axis, a back carried by thesides of said first member above the axis, the end portions of the sidesof the first member constituting front legs extending forwardly anddownwardly from said axis and the ends of the sides of the second memberconstituting rear legs extending rearwardly and downwardly from saidaxis, a stretcher extending between said front legs at a point spacedforwardly and downwardly from said axis, a third member of elongatedstock bent into a U- shape to provide an intermediate portion and twosides, said third member being secured to said rear legs with itsintermediate portion extending between them and its sides extendingforwardly across and in engagement with said stretcher, the sides ofsaid third member, at points where they engage said stretcher, beingspaced downwardly from the sides of said second member, the ends of thesides of said third member extending forwardly and upwardly and beingsecured to the sides of said second member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS157,042 Vass Nov. 17, 1874 240,498 Bartell Apr. 26, 1881 271,857 Johnsonet al. Feb. 6, 1883 404,589 Batt June 4, 1889 1,342,650 Schlegel June 8,1920 2,639,762 Westcamp May 26, 1953

